The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-07-14
FARM AND GARDEN.
THINNING CORN AND POTATOES,

t''N~AN
considerable labor to thin the plants
out, but it will pay. In pulling pototo
sprouts sudden jerk is required to
break it of where it joins the tuber
without pulling the latter up. One
strong eye will generally produce three
fhoots, and sometimes more. If two
eyes are planted in hill considerable
thinning will be needed.
SAP SUCKERS ON TREES.
If apple trees were trimmed in VIM
ter or Spring it will doubtless start
multitudes of dormant buds on the
branches and even on the trunks.
These nre called sap suckers, produced
rs they are by an eXuberance of sapdor
which there is not enough outlet. Now
when the tree gets in full leaf these
sap suckers may be rubbed off by hand
simply by pinch between finger and
thumb. 1t is no detriment to the tree,
and saves both waste of growth aud
more expensive pruning if left until
Fall or next Spring.
CAPTIVATING CROPS EARLY.
The cultivator should be set to work
IN corn or potatoes as soon as possible.
This with corn will be as soon as it be-
gins to show above the surface and
with potatoes in ridges somewhat be-
fore. No matter how planted the
slanting-tooth harrow can and should
l. nd
the time they are planted until they
are up. The destruction of small
weeds is only one of the advantages of
this early narrowing. The pulveriza-
ton of the surface soil by the harrow
opens the ground to light and air, thus
adding greatly to the effectiveness of
any manure and making the sod turned
under rot more readily.
PIGS AT PASTURE.
That pigs will eat grass and clover
readily does not show that alone it is
the best and most economical feed. 1t
is too bulky in proportion to its nutri-
ment, but with little grain or milk
this defect is remedied The stomach
Of the hog is comparatively smaller
than that of the sheep, cow or other
ruminant animals. Thus. although
the pig is called gluttonous. it is quail
ity, or nutrition and not mere bulk of
food. that he requires. But with lit
tie grain pigs in rich pasture will grow
and fatten more rapidly and economic
ally than in the pen, and the pork will
be far more healthful food.
CUTTING WHITE DAISY FOR HAY.
In thousands of meadows where the
grass and clover seeding is poor the
surface is covered with white daisies,
growing one and half or two and
half feet high, according to the soil.
Although a weed these white daisies
have enough nutritive value to be
worth cutting and saving for hay.
Cows and horses will eat them in win
ter when little pinched, if the hay
has been properly secured. If cut
early it ranks in value half way between
grain, straw and good hay. If cut af-
ter it gets in flower the stalk becomes
more woody, and its value is much re-
duced. Another important reason for
early cutting is to prevent the weed
from seeding.
KILLING OFF OLD HENS.
When one and two years the old hen is
Mt her bestfor egg production, Espec-
tally valuable fowls may lie kept long
er and make better sitters than when
Younger After the flush of egg pro-
duction has stopped, and when they be-
- gin to want to set, is a good time to
kill them off. They keep in good flesh
while laying, but rapidly grow thin
when the fever of incubation is on
them, so that if not killed promptly
they will not be in condition again
until late in the season. Thinning the
flock now makes room for growing
chicks, and on the farm prevents loss
by their ravages on crops or in the
gardens, 1t is sign of unthriftiness
in many ways to see fowls five, six and
even eight or ten years old about the
premises. They have long outlived
their lest usefulness, and should make
way for something better.
STOPPING BREAKS IN UNDERDRAINs.
1t is rare that an underdrain is laid
SO carefully and with such uniform fall
as to make perfect channel. If there
is no considerable body of water to 90
through it in Spring and Winter. it will
probably always keep an outlet suffi-
Gent, even if uncared for, provided its
mouth is kept open. But with heavy
floods either stone or tile is liable to DO
displaced, especially with irregular fall.
The evil will be seen generally the first
year, if at all. and it should at once be
remedied. for where displacement
has occurred. every flood pretends to
make it worse. After the floods have
passed in the Spring, mark every place
where hole has been made down to
the drain from the surface. Digging
down to the water way it will soon be
seen what the trouble E. Sometimes
stone has dropped down, and while
the earth was soft above it has let the
soil follow, thus making hole as the
earth was washed away by the water
into the drain. In fixing these places
especial care should be taken. as where
break has been made once it is not
likely to occur again.
ANTIQUITY OF THE POTATO.
The fact that potatoes are indigenous
in the Andes region of South America
has been generally accepted as proc
that they were not known in the Eastern
continent until after Columbus dis
covered America. They were undoubt-
edly introduced into Europe from the
newly discovered continent, and were a
long time even after that in making
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